You are here

The Hampton Public Library

The Hampton Public Library

1638 - HAMPTON TERCENTENARY - 1938

Lane Memorial Library

The present library is largely due to the efforts of two Hampton teachers, the Misses Ellen A. Leavitt and Sarah E. Gillespie, in conjunction with Mr. B. H. Weston, one time principal of the (Hampton) Academy. A previous library association and the first in Hampton having been incorporated in 1807 and having a prosperous and useful existence for a period of years, finally due to lack of interest was forced to close up its affairs in 1854.

In 1865, the second attempt began and met with hearty support, 114 shares being sold at $3.00 each. The town gave free use of a room in the town house, two hundred volumes were purchased, as many more were donated and the Hampton Library Association was soon functioning. It prospered and then declined as its privileges were limited and in 1881, the association offered its books to the town for the foundation of a free public library, which the town accepted.

Mr. Howard G. Lane, in memory of his father Joshua Lane, built and gave to the town our fine Lane Memorial Library, which today contains about 10,000 volumes. The building was dedicated on December 14, 1910 with appropriate exercises held in the Congregational Church. It is worthy of note to mention that Mr. S. Albert Shaw served as Librarian from 1874 to 1877 and again from 1879 to 1929, a total of fifty-five years. Mrs. Walter Scott Noyes is the present [1938] librarian.